Addressing Illegal Wildlife Trade in Africa: Role of Supreme Audit Institutions
In Africa, illegal poaching and wildlife trade have become a lucrative yet devastating business, posing significant threats to biodiversity. This presentation explores the organized environmental crime valued at 20 billion USD, focusing on its detrimental impact on various species such as black rhinos, mountain gorillas, elephants, and lions. The narrative also sheds light on the role of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in combating illegal wildlife trade and preserving the continent's natural heritage.
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Good Financial Governance in Africa Illegal poaching and wildlife trade - big business with devastating consequences what can SAIs do? AFROSAI Working Group of Environmental Auditing Abuja, 13thof Septembre 2016 Tassilo von Droste GFG Heat Map 03/10/2024 Page 1
This presentation will cover the following : 1. Illegal trade in wildlife: organized environmental crime worth 20 billion USD 2. Devastating consequences not only for biodiversity 3. What can SAIs do? 03/10/2024 Page 2 Illegal poaching and wildlife trad
Illegal trade in wildlife Insects Amphibians Live or dead non- domesticated animals Reptiles Plants Mammals Fish 03/10/2024 Page 3 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Wildlife facts: Black rhino population: down by 97% since 1960 Mountain gorillas: 900 left Elephants: 35000 killed last year Lions historic loss of 85% of the population Page 4
Gorillas On the IUCN red list Killed and captured by poachers Bush meat is consumed locally and exported In DRC 1 million ton bush meat a year. Babies are sold as pets Revenues finance war 03/10/2024 Page 5
03/10/2024 Page 6 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Black Rhino Loss of 97,6 % of the population since 1960 Rhino horn is used in traditional Asian medicine: Supposed to cure hangovers, impotence, cancer, fever There is no scientific evidence to corroborate this. Tremendous increase in the last years. Page 7
Black Rhino Historic distribution (in Yellow) versus current distribution (in Red) Source: San Diego Zoo Page 8
African Elephant Between 20 000-35 000 elephants have been poached for ivory in 2015 this is about 5% of the estimated total population in Africa (480 000-650 000) Ivory is used for: Jewelry, cutlery, religious figurines. Demand continues to be high: Between 2013 and 2014 the price of Ivory tripled in China. Page 9
Elephant Population distribution Page 10
The most trafficked animal you ve never seen 03/10/2024 Page 11
A pangolins value chain who makes how much ? source: http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2014/04/opinion/sutter-change-the-list-pangolin-trafficking/ 400 350 300 250 200 margin price in USD 150 100 50 0 to a hunter to trader 1to trader 2to trader 3 to a restaurant 03/10/2024 Page 12 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
The value of illegal trade in wildlife 25 20 15 10 Value in Billion USD 5 0 GDP Malawi GDP Uganda Illegal Wildlife trade 03/10/2024 Page 13 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
The broader picture of wildlife crime : shows similitude to drug and arms trafficking Corruption Wildlife crime Illegal firearms Money laundering Organized crime 03/10/2024 Page 14 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Organized environmental crime Financiers buy weapons/material for harvesters Local resources Global markets Intermediaries Harvesters: poor villagers, insurgents, park rangers, hunters Intermediaries: Often use bribes and connections to political elite 03/10/2024 Page 15 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Tremendous consequences! No taxes paid Criminal networks benefit Wars get financed 03/10/2024 Page 16 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Benefits of addressing illegal wildlife trade Source: UNEP Tourism represents 36 billion dollars in Africa i.e. 7% of gdp Each live gorilla brings in 1 million dollar in Uganda Rwanda earned 304 million $ from ecotourism Tourism Biodiversity Keep the balance of the natural environment Prevent irreversible extinction of species Rule of law Revenues are not used by militias to destabilize the state Wildlife trade gets overseen, regulated and benefits taxed 03/10/2024 Page 17 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
What actions can be taken by authorities ACT Implement international laws & commitments (SDG, CITES, London and Kasane Declarations) Address corruption, money-laundering, organised crime, smuggling of firearms Strengthen co-operation between source, transit and destination countries 03/10/2024 Page 18 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
SAI Audit compliance with international agreements Audit corruption/ money- laundering Audit national conservation programmes 03/10/2024 Page 19 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
International conventions Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora : It s a legally binding convention on the trade of a total of 35000 species. It acts as a framework that gets transposed into domestic legislation by the signatory parties. 183 countries are members. Convention on biological diversity Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn convention) SDGs 14 and 15 includes targets related to the illegal trade of wildlife 03/10/2024 Page 20 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Starting points for auditors - Application of international conventions such as CITES - Status of implementation of national legislation/ politics on endangered species - Assess performance of wildlife law enforcement agencies - Capacity of customs to control the trade of threatened species 03/10/2024 Page 21 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
Useful resources UNEP : The rise of environmental crimes http://unep.org/documents/itw/environmental_crimes.pdf CITES https://cites.org/ INTOSAI WGEA Guidelines Auditing biodiversitym Guidance for SAIs http://www.environmental- auditing.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=WJWCKyYayx8%3D&tabid=242 IUCN https://www.iucn.org/regions/europe/our-work/wildlife-trafficking 03/10/2024 Page 22 Illegal poaching and wildlife trade
